# The Woman Who Could Smell Parkinson's Disease **URL:** \ **Category:** MBBS\ **Tags:** diagnosis, parkinsons, explore\ **Created:** [June 4, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750 "2026-06-04T22:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UrvaD](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/urvad/32/4764_2.png) [@UrvaD](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/UrvaD)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750/1 "2026-06-04T22:56:48Z")
**What if a disease could be detected not by a blood test or a scan, but by smell?** This is a remarkable story that I read about an hour ago. It is about , **Joy Milne, a retired nurse from Scotland** who noticed a subtle change in her husband’s scent years before he was diagnosed with **Parkinson’s disease.** At the time, she could not explain it. However, as she met other people living with Parkinson’s, she realized they shared the same distinctive odor. Intrigued by her observations, researchers began investigating whether Parkinson’s disease could alter a person’s body chemistry. To their surprise, studies suggested that Joy’s extraordinary sense of smell was detecting chemical changes associated with the condition. Scientists later identified specific compounds in skin oils that probably contributed to this unique scent. Her unusual ability has opened new possibilities for early diagnosis. Since Parkinson’s symptoms often appear years after the disease begins developing, detecting it earlier could lead to more timely interventions and improved patient care.Scientists used her exceptionally sensitive sense of smell develop a test for Parkinson’s disease. The test can identify people with the condition using a simple cotton bud swab taken from the back of the neck. Joy Milne’s story reminds us that scientific breakthroughs sometimes begin with simple observations. It also highlights how much remains to be discovered about the human body and the remarkable ways in which a disease can reveal itself. Read this research article for more insights- [Discovery of Volatile Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease from Sebum - PMC](https://share.google/8m6OuhnaFPp3VFlps) **If one person’s sense of smell could advance medical research, what other such clues about disease might be hiding beyond our knowledge?** MBH/PS ---
**Author:** ![Bhargavi](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/bhargavi/32/4697_2.png) [@Bhargavi](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Bhargavi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750/2 "2026-06-05T03:02:11Z")
Nice information ---
**Author:** ![sawshweta23](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/sawshweta23/32/4316_2.png) [@sawshweta23](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/sawshweta23)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 5:55am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750/3 "2026-06-06T05:55:48Z")
Insightful ---
**Author:** ![Mansi\_Tiwari](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/mansi_tiwari/32/4704_2.png) [@Mansi\_Tiwari](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Mansi_Tiwari)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 6:34am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750/4 "2026-06-06T06:34:03Z")
A very insightful perspective on how the human body continuously gives early signals of disease beyond obvious symptoms ---
**Author:** ![Pooja11](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/pooja11/32/4655_2.png) [@Pooja11](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Pooja11)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons-disease/19750/5 "2026-06-06T14:31:36Z")
Very informative